Andreas was not surprised in the slightest that Aegwynn would fall out with the Tirisifal Council.
Given Aegwynn's personality, which was a mix of a firecracker and a stubborn mule, even without the subtle influence of a certain entity, she would never tolerate others telling her what to do, especially when those people had dirty secrets of their own.
The Tirisifal Council, which once held great ambitions, began to gradually change for the worse over centuries of transformation.
Long immersed in the glory of being a great organization that protected the world, the Tirisifal Council members extended their influence further and further, even beginning to secretly interfere with the internal politics of the Seven Human Kingdoms over the last decade or so.
The environment of the Kingdom of Gilneas was relatively closed off, preventing the Tirisifal Council's influence from expanding there.
After awakening from her coma, Brunhilde did not immediately reclaim her rights from the contemporary Queen, but instead remained behind the scenes, continuing to guide the development of the Kingdom of Gilneas in the form of an advisor.
As the first immortal human, Brunhilde was respectfully called the Valkyrie by the people of the Kingdom of Gilneas. Gilneas' most elite fighting force borrowed this title, calling themselves the Val'kyr, meaning the Glory of the Valkyrie.
Aside from the Kingdom of Gilneas, the Tirisifal Council's penetration into the Seven Human Kingdoms that split from the Kingdom of Arathor intensified year by year, recently even starting to openly interfere with the internal affairs of Dalaran.
Aegwynn, who used the Arcane to extend her life, was highly dissatisfied with the new generation of the Tirisifal Council's involvement in politics.
When the Council demanded that she return the Keepers' power and pass it on to the next successor, Aegwynn flatly refused their request, believing that these Council members would ultimately use the Keepers' power to interfere in the internal affairs of the various human kingdoms.
After one final fierce discussion, the two sides completely broke off, and Aegwynn departed with the Keepers' power.
Naturally, the Tirisifal Council, which had controlled the authority of the Keepers for many years, would not allow her to escape so easily. After much deliberation, they formed a specialized mage hunter organization dedicated to capturing Aegwynn: the Tirisial Conclave.
After several years of entanglement, Aegwynn finally grew tired of the Council's harassment. Using the power of aluneth, which she had gradually subdued, she established a magnificent mage tower far south of Dalaran in the Eastern Kingdoms: Karazhan.
"Heh~ this is getting interesting."
Andreas chuckled softly, handing the intelligence report to Niana beside him. "I hear the Tirisifal Council is discussing using an ancient ritual to create a new Keeper. Do you think they will follow through?"
Although Andreas' two apprentices were both clever, Leticia always used her intelligence for frivolous pursuits, her mind full of pranks and mischief, seeming like she would never grow up.
Although she had a highly sensitive way of thinking thanks to Andreas' tutelage, Leticia was usually too lazy to use her brain. Perhaps the only time she would ever be serious was when the Night Elves faced a crisis.
The younger Niana, however, applied her talents to serious endeavors. Years of diligent study gradually made her a core member of Andreas' secretarial staff.
Taking the report and reading it carefully, Niana thought for a moment before offering her opinion: "I don't think the Tirisifal Council will rashly catalyze a second Keeper."
"First, given Aegwynn's rebelliousness, they would certainly worry that a new Keeper might also refuse to follow orders."
"Furthermore, if two Keepers, who concentrate vast amounts of magic power, were to clash, the entirety of Azeroth could be severely affected by the aftermath of their battle."
Niana tapped the desk and said, "Although the Tirisifal Council has indeed strayed in recent years, their original intention is still to protect Azeroth, not destroy her. I guess they won't make such a short-sighted decision."
Andreas nodded approvingly. "I think so too, but how things develop next will depend on what those power-hungry mages decide."
"Next is the second piece of intelligence."
Andreas stopped smiling and looked seriously at the message Alfonso had just submitted.
"Merchant fleets traveling the seas have repeatedly sighted a giant sea turtle traversing the ocean. Recently, some traveling Pandaren have also started appearing on the continent of Kalimdor."
"I plan to try and make contact with these Pandaren first, to ask them if it's possible to enter the continent of Pandaria, which is sealed by mist."
The giant sea turtle roaming the ocean is named Chi-Ji, and he was the mount and companion of Liu Lang, the first Pandaren adventurer.
Andreas did not know when Liu Lang left the continent of Pandaria, riding the then-very-young Chi-Ji to explore the ocean.
But judging by Chi-Ji's current island-like size, it must have been several centuries at least.
Although sea turtles are generally long-lived, Chi-Ji is clearly not an ordinary sea turtle.
According to the traveling merchant fleets, the great sea turtle can speak human language, has a gentle and friendly demeanor, and often greets ships when passing by them.
Although the Pandaren don't believe in this system, Andreas estimates that Chi-Ji is likely a primal animal spirit, similar to a loa, though his talents aren't focused on combat.
Niana nodded and said, "I've also heard legends about the Pandaren. They fought alongside us during the War of the Ancients, didn't they?"
"Yes, unfortunately, contact with the Pandaren was completely lost after the Great Sundering. It's been nearly ten thousand years since I've seen any sign of them."
'I wonder what happened in Pandaria during these ten thousand years...'
"The continent shrouded in mist, Pandaria..."
Niana asked thoughtfully, "Uncle, why do you want to go to Pandaria? Given the current population of the Night Elf Republic, haven't we reached the limit of the territory we can control?"
Population remains the biggest constraint on the Night Elves' continued expansion.
The Night Elves cannot fully occupy even their homeland, the continent of Kalimdor. A large portion of the territory nominally belonging to the Night Elves cannot be developed due to lack of manpower.
For example, Silithius and Tanaris, those two former great deserts.
Several centuries have passed since the Forge of Wills was restarted. With the help of this land-reshaping device and the efforts of the Druids, the barren Tanaris and Silithius are finally beginning to show signs of greenery again.
Although it is currently limited to a very small Oasis near water sources, this is ultimately a favorable sign. The Forge of Wills can indeed help Azeroth reshape the land, allowing barren territories to regain vitality over long periods of time.
However, the embarrassing fact is that the Night Elf Republic currently lacks the manpower to invest heavily in the construction of Silithius and Tanaris.
The same problem also constrains the continent of Northrend in the north. After recovering from the War of the Shifting Sands, the general stationed in Suramar repeatedly submitted applications, hoping to completely wipe out the Drakari Trolls who had threatened Suramar for years.
But considering the inability to govern the territory after capturing it, and because the Drakari have been quietly behaving themselves in recent years, coupled with the Zandalari Empire repeatedly sending people to intercede through the Cenarion Circle, this military proposal has never received the approval of the High Council.
Andreas shook his head and said, "I am not looking to expand territory, nor do I plan to compete with the Pandaren for the land of Pandaria."
"My main goal is to find a certain Keeper who has been skipping work for tens of thousands of years, and try to wake him up from his state of decline."
According to the contents Andreas recorded in his memo, the Pandaren have not completely occupied the entirety of Pandaria.
After Emperor Shaohao turned into mist and passed away, the Pandaren followed his will and sealed The Jade Forest, which was once the center of their empire.
Currently, the Pandaren's scope of activity is mainly concentrated in The Jade Forest and the Valley of the Four Winds. Some Pandaren also live near the Temple of the White Tiger and the Temple of the Red Crane in Kun-Lai Summit and the Krasarang Wilds, but they have not completely brought these two areas under their control.
These lands are all located inside The Serpents Spine, the great wall built by the Mogu race. The Dread Wastes and Mantis Plateau, which lie west of The Serpents Spine, are entirely under the control of the Mantid.
The Mantid periodically launch large-scale assaults on The Serpents Spine. Andreas speculated that for the past ten thousand years, most of the Pandaren's energy must have been spent guarding against these followers of YShaarj.
"Keepers?"
Niana asked curiously, "Giants like Thorim? Does Pandaria have them too?"
"Hmm, the situation is rather complex. I'll explain it in detail when we are fortunate enough to enter Pandaria."
Although people occasionally spot Chi-Ji's trail at sea, this great sea turtle swims extremely fast, and ordinary ships cannot catch up to him at all.
It will likely take a significant amount of time to accurately pinpoint the constantly shifting location of Chi-Ji. Andreas plans to first find a traveling Pandaren to ask about the situation.
Chi-Ji, which is as large as an island, is called the Wandering Isle by the Pandaren who live on his back. The Pandaren on this island are descendants of the adventurers Liu Lang originally took from Pandaria.
They naturally love to travel everywhere and explore the unknown. After leaving the Wandering Isle, the footprints of this group of Pandaren spread across the whole world; their presence has even been discovered in the cold Northrend.
The global situation is now showing signs of renewed turbulence. The Dwarves, who have enjoyed a thousand years of peaceful development, are experiencing undercurrents of unrest because the High King Modimus is gravely old.
Tensions are gradually rising between the three great clans: Bronzebeard, Dark Iron, and Wildhammer, making a civil war likely unavoidable.
Just as Andreas was busy coordinating intelligence from around the world, a voice that hadn't appeared in a long time suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Andreas, I need your help with something."
"Hmm?"
Andreas, who was playing badminton with his daughter Aurora to exercise, suddenly froze. Aurora's smash shot grazed the side of his cheek, leaving a shallow blood mark.
"Dad! What are you doing?!"
Aurora was startled by her father's sudden immobility. Considering the physical fitness of this family, the badminton they were playing would definitely be considered 'killer badminton' from a normal person's perspective... "Sorry, sorry."
Andreas apologetically held up his hand to signal a pause. Under the confused gazes of Shandris, Celeste, and the others, Andreas walked to a nearby bench with a strange expression, sat down, and entered a state of meditation.
"Elune?"
"Yes, it's me. It's been a long time since I communicated with you directly. You haven't forgotten my voice, have you?"
"How could I?" Andreas said with a laugh. "There aren't many beings who can communicate with me telepathically. Xal'atath is still asleep and hasn't woken up. Only you, the moon goddess, would call me this way."
Elune's clear laughter echoed in Andreas' mind. "Actually, I occasionally pay attention to you and Tyrande, but other matters have taken up a lot of my energy, and I haven't found the time to chat properly with you."
"Getting back to the main point, I hope you can do me a favor."
Andreas smiled and said, "Of course. Please tell me, as long as it is within my ability."
Elune noticed Andreas' cautious wording and said playfully, "No need to be nervous. I won't give you a task that exceeds your capabilities, nor will I send you off immediately."
"You should know that I once created light and shadow symbiotic lifeforms. These creatures were later gradually called Naaru by other lifeforms in the universe."
Andreas raised an eyebrow slightly. "Yes, I've heard of them. Is this mission related to the Naaru?"
"Yes."
Elune's voice became a little more serious. "In places unknown to you, the Army of the Light, assembled by the Prime Naaru Xera, has been fighting the Burning Legion."
"Although the Army of the Light is constantly at a disadvantage, their actions divert a lot of the demons' attention, buying precious time for worlds like Azeroth that have not yet been destroyed."
Andreas asked with a conflicted expression, "Respected Elune, you aren't asking me to aid the Army of the Light, are you? Asking someone full of Void Energy like me to help a bunch of Holy Light batteries? I'm afraid they'll purify me on the spot."
"Hehe~ Of course not."
Elune chuckled softly. "The Army of the Light took a liking to a very promising Mortal race. Xera arranged for the Naaru under her command to provide them assistance, guiding these Holy Light believers toward the path of light."
Andreas' heart stirred. "Could it be..."
"Yes, you have definitely heard of this race. They are the Eredar."
Elune sighed softly. "Unfortunately, the leaders of the Eredar were seduced by Sargeras and abandoned the path of the Holy Light, with nearly the entire race defecting to the Burning Legion."
"Only a small portion of people, unwilling to consort with demons, escaped their homeworld under the leadership of one of the Eredar's leaders, constantly wandering and fleeing through the stars under the Burning Legion's pursuit for tens of thousands of years."
Andreas grasped what Elune wanted him to do. He suddenly realized, "So, you want me to guide these exiles who still believe in the Holy Light to Azeroth, allowing them to join the great cause of resisting the Burning Legion?"
Elune said approvingly, "Your mind is still so sharp. From a long-term perspective, that is the goal, but the task I am giving you is not directly related to the Draenei."
"To help these Eredar exiles, who now call themselves Draenei, Xera arranged for several Naaru to send them a spaceship to help them escape Argus."
"The Draenei wandered across several planets one after another, but the persistent Burning Legion managed to find their trail every time, dispatching large armies to continue the pursuit of the Draenei."
"During their final escape, internal problems arose on the Genedar, the spaceship gifted to the Draenei by the Army of the Light."
"A Naaru named Kara exhausted his Holy Light power, lost his sanity, and transformed into a Void Creature. Due to the internal chaos he caused, the Genedar crashed on a primitive planet."
"Three Naaru who assisted the Draenei in their escape encountered accidents one after another. After Kara transformed into a Void Creature, Deoli and Kure were also severely wounded when the spaceship crashed. In their extreme weakness, they sent out a distress signal into the cosmos."
"I happened to receive this signal, so..."
Andreas said speechlessly, "So you want me to help rescue these two creations of yours?"
"Yes."
Elune persuaded him with a gentle voice, "Andreas, I believe you can do it. As long as you are prepared, I can send you off at any time."
"Sigh~"
Andreas slapped his forehead and said helplessly, "That's easy for you to say, but that's interstellar travel! I still have many pending matters on Azeroth. I can't possibly abandon everything and run off to another planet, can I?"
"Don't worry."
Elune comforted him softly, "The mission I'm giving you won't be too troublesome. It shouldn't delay you too much; it should be resolved within 100 years."
"Besides you, I can send one more person to accompany you, but considering the covert surveillance of certain entities, two people is the limit of what I can do secretly."
...Can I choose not to go?
Hehe~ Of course you can.
Elune smiled and said, "The choice is yours. I just believe that forging this good relationship with the Draenei will aid in the subsequent development and planning of Azeroth."
"The crystal technology of the Eredar is very advanced, and the Draenei have inherited part of the Eredar civilization's legacy. I believe the knowledge they retain can greatly boost Azeroth's technological advancement."
Many people misunderstand the Draenei, believing they are a cosmic race capable of independently navigating the stars.
It seems illogical that such Draenei would be beaten to a pulp by Orcs wielding sticks.
In reality, although the Eredar's technology is indeed advanced, they ultimately did not reach the level of independently departing their homeworld and navigating the cosmos.
The spaceship the Draenei used during their escape was a gift from the Army of the Light; they were incapable of manufacturing ships themselves.
At least... not at this point in time.
As for the Vindicaar and the like, those are matters for many years in the future, and they inevitably involve assistance from the ingenious Gnomes.
The Draenei who crashed onto the Orc homeworld lost their spaceship and their Naaru, and even Prophet Velen was severely injured and could no longer accurately foresee future disasters. This led to the subsequent tragedy where the Draenei were massacred by rampaging Orcs whose strength had been greatly enhanced by drinking demon blood.
After recovering from his meditative state, the worried expression on Andreas' face made the hearts of his family members surrounding him clench.
Shandris gently held her husband's hand and asked, "Did Elune give you a command? Is it difficult?"
"Hoo..."
Andreas let out a long breath, collected his thoughts, and then said with a pained expression, "I don't know yet if it's difficult, but... if I decide to accept her mission, I might not be able to return to Azeroth for a very long time."
"Return to Azeroth?"
Leticia scratched her head, her mind full of questions. "What do you mean? Does Elune's mission require you to leave Azeroth?"
Andreas shrugged helplessly. "That's probably it, so I needed to ask for your opinion first."
...The habitually diligent Speaker Moonshadow was uncharacteristically late, and the staff of the Government Affairs Hall privately engaged in some unreliable discussions about the matter.
Rumors, strange and varied, emerged endlessly: overwork, daughter going on a blind date, and so on.
Tyrande had visible dark circles under her eyes, but her spirits were quite high.
Elune's long-awaited return to Azeroth showed no favoritism; Tyrande also had an exchange with the moon goddess she worshipped last night.
As a devout follower of the moon goddess, Elune's long absence had made Tyrande somewhat uneasy, often wondering if she had done something wrong again to incur Elune's displeasure.
After all... Tyrande had a history when it came to such matters.
"No need to fuss."
The High Priestess, who was usually solemn, appeared quite generous at this moment. "Elune has returned to Azeroth. Andreas must have had a lengthy exchange with her last night. Perhaps Elune has something she needs him to do."
"Congratulations, you guessed correctly."
Andreas, looking slightly worn out, pushed the door open and entered. The staff outside were following his retreating back with curious eyes.
After a long discussion, the entire family finally reached a conclusion. Andreas, who hadn't slept for a day, rushed to the Government Affairs Hall to announce the result.
"Due to Elune's commission, I must leave for a period of time."
Rubbing his tired brow, Andreas said under the astonished gaze of Maiev and Fandral, "While I am gone, I will trouble you all to take care of the government affairs."
"If there are any important pending matters, the three of you should continue to decide based on the principle of the minority submitting to the majority."
"I will have Niana enter the Council as my representative, but she will not hold voting rights. I hope you can help her familiarize herself with the highest-level affairs; this child has a talent for this."
Niana has been Andreas' chief secretary for several centuries and has been exposed to almost all necessary secrets, but she still lacks experience in independently handling important affairs.
Originally, Andreas planned to continue mentoring her slowly, but due to Elune's sudden commission, many of Andreas' plans had to be temporarily suspended.
Andreas' astonishing announcement stunned the three members of the High Council for a while. Maiev, the first to recover, frowned and broke the silence.
"Andreas, you said you are leaving? Where are you going? Will it be so far that you cannot govern for a long time?"
Andreas gave a bitter smile and shrugged. "Yes, I will leave Azeroth and travel to another planet to complete Elune's mission."
"...Huh?"
Tyrande's eyes widened. She shrieked in disbelief, "Why didn't Elune mention this to me yesterday? I am her most devoted follower!"
"Hehe~" Andreas said, forcing a smile, "Perhaps it's because your personality isn't suitable for handling such important interplanetary diplomatic decisions."
"On this trip to an alien planet, I will make contact with an exiled race that holds a deep grudge against the Burning Legion. I will represent the Night Elf Republic in forging a preliminary alliance with this race. Elune believes the addition of this race will bring positive changes to the future of Azeroth."
Fandral took a while to sort out his thoughts. He asked with a conflicted expression, "Why now of all times? Didn't you say you planned to go to Pandaria? And how should we deal with Aegwynn's problem? What about the Dwarven civil war?"
"Let's put those aside for now."
Andreas said calmly, "The matter of Pandaria is not urgent. Continue maintaining contact with the Pandaren of the Wandering Isle, and we will handle it after I return."
"As for Aegwynn..."
A sharp glint flashed in Andreas' eyes. "I will have Prisim arrange Scouts to monitor Karazhan around the clock. You should also maintain vigilance regarding the southern part of the Eastern Kingdoms; the Kingdom of Stormwind might become the source of disaster in the future."
Tyrande raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What exactly is wrong with Aegwynn that warrants such a significant investment of manpower?"
Andreas shook his head, not answering the High Priestess' question. "Elune has given me some buffer time. I will try my best to sort out the work during this period before handing it over to you."
"Hey! I'm asking you a question!"
...After a fierce discussion, the Moonshadow family ultimately decided that Shandris would accompany Andreas to the alien planet.
If Jarod hadn't returned yet, it would have been unlikely for Shandris to abandon her duties to travel far with her husband.
However, since it was arguably a time of peace, with Jarod stationed centrally to handle military affairs, Shandris' responsibilities were not as heavy.
Because of Shandris' decision, Leticia had been moping lately. She was forcefully appointed by Shandris to temporarily fill her position, meaning the girl wouldn't be able to play around recklessly for a long time.
It took a year to sort out all the affairs for his absence. When Andreas was ready to depart, Elune appeared as summoned, right on schedule.
"Are you ready?"
"Mm."
Andreas and Shandris stood in front of their manor gate, waiting, hands tightly clasped.
"Then let us depart, for the planet that has yet to be named."
When the dwarven Khaz Modan Kingdom sparked a massive civil war in the central Eastern Kingdoms, the power center within the Night Elf Republic shifted quietly, unnoticed by outsiders.
Speaker Andreas Moonshadow temporarily relinquished his duties, and the remaining three members of the High Council temporarily divided his authority; the three factions checked each other, and none could push a complete proposal through singlehandedly.
Although the long-suppressed Tyrande was eager to seize the opportunity to reclaim power, Andreas, who had been prepared for this, could not fail to guard against her; before departing, he privately instructed Fandral and Maiev to block her foolish proposal.
In front of Moonshadow Manor, escorted by several informed parties, a silver teleportation array with gentle yet powerful energy sent Andreas and Shandris away hand in hand.
That day, many residents of Astranaar witnessed a silver pillar of light soaring skyward, seemingly reaching directly to the full moon above.
Under the high priest's proclamation, the news of Elune's appearance spread rapidly throughout the city and further expanded across the Night Elf Republic's territories.
Andreas and Shandris were now uninterested in the world's affairs after their departure; enveloped in silver light, they felt as if stretched into threads, while bizarre scenes flashed before their eyes in chaotic, unordered succession at hyper-speed.
Whether only a few seconds or several years had passed, the two, whose thoughts had nearly stalled in hyperspace, finally regained a solid sense of footing.
"Cough cough!"
Andreas and Shandris suddenly inhaled air that differed from Azeroth's, and they began coughing from the unfamiliarity.
Fortunately, Night Elves have robust physiques, and the difference in atmospheric composition between this alien world and Azeroth isn't great, so the two quickly readjusted.
"Huff~"
Looking around bewildered, his stalled thoughts not fully recovered, Andreas realized he was still clasping Shandris' hands, and the previously felt linear sensation seemed merely an illusion.
"Cough~ Andreas, have we arrived?"
After catching her breath, Shandris began surveying the surroundings.
The landing zone chosen by Elune gave the pair a familiar feeling; fertile land dotted with verdant grass and dense woods, the sky above was dim, and without close inspection one could hardly tell they had been transported to an alien planet.
Andreas surveyed the surrounding flora, so different from Azeroth's, took a deep breath and nodded, "Looks like we've arrived, but the sky here…"
"Could this be Shadowmoon Valley?"
Although this alien world has yet to be named by locals or the Draenei, Andreas knows its future name—Draenor.
Based on the notes he prepared before leaving, Andreas knows that Shadowmoon Valley is a valley region in the southeast of Draenor.
This is also one of the major Draenei settlements; their most important structure, Karabor Temple, is built on the eastern edge of Shadowmoon Valley near the Sea of Isolation.
Shadowmoon Valley's characteristics are striking; its sky is perpetually night-like, and the fertile soil sustains both the Draenei and the native Orcs.
Elune's voice suddenly echoed in Andreas' mind, "Andreas, from now on it's up to you. To avoid detection by certain beings, I need to hide for a while."
"After the mission is complete, notify me through meditation. I hope you enjoy this rare alien journey."
With those words, Elune vanished from Andreas' mind-sea.
"Alright."
Andreas gently squeezed Shandris' hand and smiled, "From now on it's just the two of us. Take your time adapting to this brand-new world."
Shandris returned an understanding smile, slipped her arm around Andreas' left arm and laughed lightly, "It's been ages since we've been alone together; Celeste and I fought hard for this chance."
Suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar environment, as a master of wilderness survival, Sentinel General Shandris offered her suggestions after some activity.
"If we can find nearby natives for help it would be ideal, but I just climbed to the treetop and saw that within several kilometers there's no village at all."
"We need to first determine our next course of action before deciding which direction to go."
"Hmm…" Andreas rested his chin, pondering, "Let's head west; I'd like to encounter the Draenei Elune mentioned."
The only large Orc Clan residing in Shadowmoon Valley is the Shadowmoon Clan.
Because of the Dark Portal incident, many view Orcs as savage, blood-thirsty monsters, but at least in the era of Andreas and Shandris' arrival, the Shadowmoon Clan—renowned for star observation and ancestor-spirit communication—is far from brutal.
However, Andreas doesn't plan to contact the Shadowmoon Orcs for now; he intends to find the Draenei first.
Since it's unclear whether the Draenei have already reached Shadowmoon Valley, the safest choice is to head west into the Tanaan Jungle, which houses the Draenei's first settlement after crashing into Draenor—Shattrath City.
Moreover, Elune's task for Andreas is to save the Naaru; the fallen Kara and the missing Deoli can be set aside, and the only confirmed presence is Kure, still trapped in the wrecked Genedar ship.
That ship crashed on the Nagrand Plains at Draenor's western border, a site that will later be called Woshu Valley Holy Mountain; even considering future missions, heading west first is unquestionably correct.
"Who's there?! Come out!"
As Andreas lowered his head in thought, Shandris' long ears twitched; she cautiously drew her longbow, aiming at a thicket several meters away, pulling the string taut.
"Jiri Guala!"
The incomprehensible alien language entered their ears; a bewildered Andreas and Shandris stayed on guard, after all, everything on Draenor is unknown to them.
"Uwa lala."
The "Garen" hidden behind the grass seemed to switch languages, but Andreas and Shandris still couldn't understand.
"Language barriers are such a hassle."
He sighed softly, emitting a wide-range psychic wave centered on Andreas; the grass behind the thicket, brushed by the wave, suddenly fell silent.
Soon, a tall, robust, simply-clothed, horned-tailed male ungulate creature with a vacant stare emerged from the grass.
"Hoho~"
Andreas looked at the blank-eyed alien intellect with interest, "Draenei, we're pretty lucky, aren't we?"
He raised his hand to signal Shandris to lower her bow, stepped forward, and placed his left hand on the creature's blue-skinned forehead.
As a dim dark glimmer flickered, Andreas, eyes closed, read numerous memories from the creature's surface mind, including two languages the Draenei had previously used.
"I see."
Through reading the shallow memories of this draenei, Andreas not only learned of his origin but also acquired memories related to the two languages he had previously used.
'If only it had been this convenient when I took my English exams in my previous life…'
Just as Andreas had guessed, this was Shadowmoon Valley. The draenei had already expanded their activities into this valley, but the majestic Karabor Temple was still under construction at this time.
Andreas and Shandris had landed near Felsoul Valley in the northwest of Shadowmoon Valley. The nearest draenei village to them was Embaari Village in the central part of Shadowmoon Valley.
This draenei had left Embaari Village to fell trees for materials to build the Karabor Temple. He had been accompanied by a dozen other draenei. The languages he had just spoken were Eredar and Orcish.
"Snap~"
Andreas lightly snapped her fingers beside the draenei lumberjack Amihan's ear. Amihan, who had been staring blankly, shuddered and quickly regained consciousness.
Seeing the two strangers standing before him, Amihan quickly backed away several steps.
"Who are you? Why did you use evil Void magic to control me?"
Having copied Amihan's language memories, Andreas and Shandris could now understand him.
"Don't be agitated, calm down, calm down."
Andreas tried to soothe the startled Amihan with a gentle tone, and it took a while for the rather harmless lumberjack to settle down.
"We come from another world with a mission from the gods. Controlling you with shadow magic was only to acquire your language. I apologize for reading your memories without permission."
Andreas politely bowed, placing a hand on his chest, and said, "I am Andreas Moonshadow, and this is my wife, Shandris Feathermoon. We have important matters and wish to meet your leader."
Amihan was just an ordinary draenei citizen. He didn't know much about the draenei high command. The only name that stood out in his surface memories was that of the great leader who led them to escape the pursuit of the demons, Prophet Velen.
Velen, blessed by the Naaru, was an immortal in every sense of the word. Tens of thousands of years ago, when they fled Argus, Velen was one of the three Eredar leaders. Besides Velen, the names of the other two leaders were equally famous: Kil'jaeden the Deceiver and Archimonde the Defiler.
Amihan still had not relaxed his guard against these outsiders who used "demonic" power.
"Sirs and miss, I know the Prophet, but he does not know me. Please forgive me, but I cannot guide you."
"No problem."
Andreas said with a smile, "Please take me to your settlement first. Don't the draenei have a person in charge in Shadowmoon Valley?"
Before Amihan could figure out how to refuse, a powerful female voice came from the nearby jungle.
"Amihan! Are you slacking off again? Hurry up and get to work!"
With the rustling of bushes, a pretty blue-skinned woman, with legs curved like Amihan's, appeared before Andreas and Shandris.
"Amihan, you didn't listen… Hmm?"
Seeing Amihan sitting on the ground trembling and two unfamiliar races curiously looking at her, the draenei woman's expression changed, and she immediately shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Rangers! Strangers are attacking us!"
"Whoosh!"
Within ten seconds at most after the shout of the ageless woman, continuous sounds began to come from the surrounding forest.
"Andreas."
Shandris tugged at her husband's pinky finger, signaling him with her eyes.
'At least a dozen people, and all well-trained.'
Andreas maintained a friendly expression and nodded. He raised his hands to show he had no ill intent.
"You two, I have no intention of attacking you. We just want to discuss matters with the draenei's representative in Shadowmoon Valley."
A slightly hoarse female voice came from behind the trees, "I am the representative of Shadowmoon Valley, Archdeacon Naielle."
A beautiful woman, dressed in exquisite openwork leather armor and holding a longbow, stepped forward, vigilantly observing the two unfamiliar strangers.
"Strangers, who are you? Why have you come to Shadowmoon Valley?"
Shandris looked Naielle up and down with interest. Although there were differences in clothing style and aesthetics compared to the night elves, Naielle's ranger attire still made Shandris, whose profession was similar to hers, feel a sense of closeness.
Andreas spread his hands and repeated what he had just said to Amihan, "The mission given to us by the Goddess requires the help of the draenei. I hope to personally meet Prophet Velen and discuss specific matters with him."
Naielle did not respond immediately. She narrowed her sharp eyes and carefully scrutinized these two unfamiliar outsiders.
"You two, I am just a blunt person, so I won't beat around the bush. I'll speak plainly."
"Prophet Velen is the most important leader of our people. Before meeting the Prophet, I must first confirm whether you are harmful to the draenei. Before that, please temporarily move to Embaari Village."
Andreas shrugged indifferently, "No problem, when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Naielle, as the leader of the rangers, was clearly one of the draenei's military leaders. If the draenei, who had been fleeing for tens of thousands of years, didn't even have this level of vigilance, they would never have been able to escape the pursuit of the Burning Legion multiple times.
If Prophet Velen hadn't strictly forbidden conflicts with the indigenous people of this planet, the straightforward Naielle would probably have already fought Andreas and Shandris… On the way to Embaari Village, several rangers remained vigilant towards Andreas and Shandris, who were surrounded in the center.
Archdeacon Naielle learned from the lumberjack Amihan that Andreas had used Void energy, which deepened her suspicion of the two.
As a race that worshiped the Light, the draenei were very displeased, even disgusted, by Void energy, which was completely contrary to the characteristics of the Light.
Andreas felt somewhat helpless about the attitude of these draenei. If they knew that the Naaru would transform into pure shadow creatures after exhausting the Light, he wondered if their faith in the Light would still be so pure.
Due to the Void Lords, most races in the universe held deep prejudices against Void power.
But in reality, Light and Shadow inherently had the possibility of mutual transformation. Even if a Light Lord who betrayed the Void side suddenly appeared one day, Andreas would not be surprised, as it was theoretically plausible.
Compared to the draenei's almost fanatical faith in the Light, Andreas' view of power was more pragmatic.
Whether it was Arcane, Holy, Nature, or Death, Fel, and Shadow, as long as he could fully control the energy, it could be used by him.
However, considering the aesthetics of the world, the radiant Light was indeed more popular than the unassuming Shadow.
Shadowmoon Valley was home to a large number of wild clefthoof. Since the draenei settled here, they had tamed many clefthoof as their mounts.
At this moment, Andreas and Shandris were riding together on the broad back of a clefthoof. Archdeacon Naielle was a step behind, riding her own mount and glancing sideways at their backs.
Shandris was a bit annoyed by Naielle's thief-like gaze, but under Andreas' calming influence, she managed not to lash out on the spot.
"We're here."
As the ranger's report came from the front, a peaceful village built on a plain appeared before everyone's eyes.
Naielle sped up and came before Andreas and Shandris, introducing, "This is the first village built by the draenei in Shadowmoon Valley. I apologize for the inconvenience, but please live here for a while. I will notify the Bishop's Council to arrange for people to investigate you as soon as possible."
'Embaari Village…'
As a ranger arranged by Naielle guided them to a draenei-style domed house, Andreas stroked his chin, pondering, 'Has that famous draenei, affectionately called "Hoof" by players, been born yet? This seems to be her hometown, right?'
Accepting things as they come, after moving into Ampori Village, Andreas and Shandris were in no hurry to seek out major events to prove themselves.
Due to Andreas' use of Shadow Power, the Draenei Rangers, led by High Prelate Nelly, held an instinctive repulsion toward him. It would be difficult to change their views in a short time.
Ampori Village was the first foothold for the Draenei after expanding their territory into Shadowmoon Valley. Now that Karabor Temple was still under construction, the so-called Ampori Village already had the population and prosperity of a town-level scale.
Draenor before being corrupted by Fel Energy possessed very rich natural resources, as could be glimpsed from the beautiful scenery of Shadowmoon Valley.
Due to the special weather where most of the year was spent in long nights, the native Orcs of Draenor were not very fond of this valley.
In the vast Shadowmoon Valley, only the Shadowmoon Clan, who were not skilled in combat, resided. The territory they controlled was far less than that of the newly arrived Draenei, and even less than that of another native race of Draenor—the Ogres.
After settling down in Ampori Village, Andreas first took Shandris to start being neighborly, trying to build good relationships with their surrounding neighbors.
Ordinary Draenei civilians did not know that Andreas possessed powerful Shadow Power, and they treated the two newcomers from a different race very kindly.
Speaking of this, Andreas couldn't help but marvel at the Draenei's positive mindset.
Hunted by the Burning Legion for tens of thousands of years, their ship accidentally crashed onto the planet Draenor, and they were unable to escape again in the short term.
Even in such a desperate situation, the Draenei could still maintain an optimistic attitude toward life and remain friendly and approachable toward two strange outsiders. This kind of strong psychological resilience was very rare.
The Draenei's ability to maintain such a detached and optimistic mindset was largely due to Prophet Velen, who had guided them for tens of thousands of years.
However, Andreas knew that this Prophet was not a perfect man; he also had his own character flaws, but that would be discussed later.
Because the entire Draenei race believed in the Holy Light, they would wake up early every morning to pray.
Andreas was also used to waking up early due to his work habits, but whenever the Draenei prayed, he would temporarily hide at home and not go out.
Rich Lights Power would envelop the entire Ampori Village during the Draenei's collective prayers. At these times, Andreas would feel the mutual repulsion between the Light and the Shadow. He worried that going out at this time might accidentally reveal his secret.
Shandris, on the other hand, happily joined the Draenei's prayer line, although the object of her prayer was not the Light or the Naaru, but the moon goddess Elune.
Although the moonlight power used by the Night Elves differed in form from the Holy Light, in essence, both were methods of applying Lights Power.
The friendly and inclusive Draenei quickly accepted Shandris, an outsider who also believed in Lights Power. The relatively cool-tempered Shandris actually integrated into the village atmosphere faster than Andreas, who actively communicated with the villagers.
During their stay in Ampori Village, Andreas and Shandris gradually gathered a lot of useful intelligence.
More than 20 years had passed since the Genedar crashed on Draenor, and the Draenei's new capital, Shattrath, had already been completed in the northern coastal area of Tanaan Jungle.
At the same time, a mausoleum to house the souls of the Draenei was built in the south of this forest, named Auchindoun.
One of Andreas' targets, the Naaru Deoli, was in Auchindoun, though in the form of remains.
Deoli had unfortunately died when the Genedar crashed, but his remains strangely remained active and were gradually decaying from a creature of Light into the Void.
During Deoli's decay process, the souls of Draenei who died in the ship crash would be unconsciously attracted to him, gathering near Deoli's remains. Living Draenei could even communicate directly with these souls.
This abnormal phenomenon had never appeared before. Prophet Velen ordered Deoli's remains to be moved south of Shattrath City and built a mausoleum called Auchindoun to house Deoli's remains and the souls of the dead Draenei.
The task of communicating with these souls and monitoring the decay progress of Deoli's remains was given to High Prelate Malardal, who, along with his followers, established an organization called the Auchenai.
Before crashing on Draenor, the Draenei actually did not have the position of High Prelate. All administrative work was uniformly handled and assigned by Prophet Velen.
The three Naaru had long led the Draenei while being hunted by the Burning Legion. Years of being unable to rest caused the Holy Light within them to gradually deplete.
After Kara decayed into a Void Creature, she caused great damage inside the Genedar. The weakened Kure and Deoli were powerless to stop their companion's atrocities. In the end, Velen risked his life to step forward.
He used powerful Lights Power to separate Kara from the other Naaru and with great difficulty threw the completely fallen Kara out of the ship.
But by then it was too late; the damage caused by Kara was irreversible, and the Genedar ultimately crashed onto Draenor.
To prevent his gradually losing sanity from harming the Draenei he had long protected, the severely injured Kure sternly ordered Velen to lead the Draenei away from the crashed ship and never return to find him.
Velen himself was also seriously injured in this battle and temporarily lost his prophetic ability to see the future.
Losing his eyes that could see through the future for the first time, Velen knew he could no longer place all hope on himself.
He established a brand-new governing body, appointing four High Prelates with different responsibilities to form the Council of Bishops to jointly lead the people forward. Malardal was the fifth High Prelate appointed after the completion of Auchindoun.
Andreas and Shandris had already met the Ranger High Prelate; she was that female general, Nelly, who liked to go to the front lines.
The Draenei's names for various professions were different from those in Azeroth. For example, the Paladins that would appear in Azeroth later were called Defenders by them.
The High Prelate in charge of the Defender forces was named Akama. This was a name very familiar to Andreas... after all, he had gone deep into a certain temple countless times to farm the Warglaives of Azzinoth.
The Draenei called their mages Scholars, and the High Prelate leading these Scholars was Adal. Besides protecting the safety of the people, the Scholar organization, the Sha'tar, also bore the heavy responsibility of researching and exploring this new world.
The last High Prelate did not specialize in combat but was responsible for making armor, weapons, and various high-tech equipment for the race. At this moment, he was standing in front of Andreas.
"You mean this crystal?"
High Prelate Hataru casually tapped the purple crystal installed on the exterior of the temporary residence assigned to Andreas.
"The main function of this crystal is to conduct Arcane and Lights Power. I named it Arkonite. Draenei buildings that widely use Arkonite crystals can provide us with many conveniences."
"Every house is connected to the village's main magical network. It is thanks to them that residents can ensure continuous light under the dark skies of Shadowmoon Valley."
"Huh?"
Andreas stroked his chin with interest, eyeing these dazzling purple crystals.
When he first moved into Ampori Village, he was very curious why Draenei buildings more or less had some crystals installed. Hataru's words finally cleared up his confusion.
"Setting that aside for now, Andreas, can you tell me in detail about the principles of the arcane golem you mentioned earlier?"
Hataru was a typical technician, intensely passionate about new technologies.
Archbishop Hataru was the first person in the Council of Bishops, besides Nelly, to interact with Andreas and Shandris. When Andreas 'accidentally' mentioned the arcane golems created by the Night Elves to him, the Archbishop immediately became interested.
The Draenei, with their advanced technology, also had their own golem technology, but their technological approach differed significantly from that of the Night Elves.
The Draenei's golems were not driven by intelligent programs woven with Arcane energy; instead, they eerily inserted the souls of deceased Draenei into them, allowing them to survive in another form.
It was simple to build a good relationship with a tech enthusiast; one only needed to cater to their interests.
Andreas himself was also very interested in Draenei crystal technology. The two hit it off immediately, enthusiastically huddling together to chatter about their respective technological features.
Shandris hadn't been idle during this time either; as a former Ranger, she quickly became familiar with her old colleague, Nelly.
Both were female generals who led troops to overcome obstacles for their people, and they shared many common topics. Recently, Shandris had been permitted to go hunting and patrolling with Nelly, which also served as Nelly's close monitoring and assessment.
Shandris' strength was considerably higher than Archbishop Nelly's, and she was also more skilled in leading armies than Nelly, who had been in office for less than fifty years. Nelly benefited greatly from her exchanges with Shandris.
The guerrilla tactics of the Sentinels were remarkably similar to those of the Draenei Rangers. The relationship between Shandris and Nelly, two strong women, quickly warmed through daily interactions and sparring.
Although this Ranger Archbishop still seemed indifferent towards Andreas, at least a good friendship had been established with Shandris.
Hataru took charge of the architectural design for Karabor Temple, so it was no surprise that he would stay in the nearby Ampori Village.
The third Archbishop who came to inspect the outsiders was Akama, the leader of the Draenei Defenders, mentioned earlier.
Compared to Nelly, who held deep prejudices, Akama, highly favored by the Holy Light, was much gentler towards Andreas, but his gentleness... made Andreas quite unaccustomed.
This Archbishop would always come up with various reasons for Andreas to abandon his pursuit of shadows and instead convert to the embrace of light.
Incidentally, Andreas also met two future celebrities when he met Akama.
Akama's two lieutenants, Defender Marlard and Nuptorn.
"Andreas, although Void Power doesn't affect one's mind like Fel Energy, certain entities hiding behind the scenes will constantly whisper in your mind through this energy. You must have felt it too, right?"
"Hehe~ Yes."
Andreas twitched his lips with a forced smile, 'Does Elune's whisper count?'
Due to constantly being under Elune's protection, even C'Thun's incessant murmuring had little effect on Andreas, and the whispers from the depths of the Dark Void were also automatically shielded by the Moon Goddess.
"So."
Akama passionately spread his arms, persuading in a chanting, melodious tone, "Follow me and embrace the Holy Light! We will become brothers, indistinguishable from each other, under the same light!"
"Uh~ thank you, I'll think about it."
"Sigh~"
Marlard and Nuptorn covered their faces, looking speechless. They also felt quite helpless about their superior.
Akama was undoubtedly a qualified Defender Archbishop; his passion always brought endless motivation to the Draenei people, and his zeal for spreading the Holy Light even surpassed that of Prophet Velen... but his occasional fits of zealous Holy Light worship were difficult for even his lieutenants, Marlard and Nuptorn, to adapt to.
Just as Andreas was awkwardly humoring Akama's persuasion, a small head suddenly popped out from the main entrance of his and Shandris' temporary new residence.
Andreas, with a raised eyebrow and a smile in his eyes, took this opportunity to change the subject.
"Yrel, why are you hiding? Come right in. Samara is here too, right?"
"Hehe~"
A young female Draenei in simple armor stood outside the door, scratching her hair somewhat hesitantly, while a slightly older, gentle woman in plain clothes pushed her forward from behind.
"Don't block the doorway, go inside quickly."
"Oh?" Akama finally awoke from his self-感動 state, looking somewhat surprised at the two young visitors.
"Isn't this Apprentice Yrel? Any problems with your training recently?"
Akama laughed heartily and patted the heavy-armored girl's shoulder, the heavy force causing Yrel's face to change color slightly.
"Uh, it's fine, no big problems."
"Cough~"
Marlard lightly coughed, reminding him, "Archbishop, your grip is too strong."
"Hmm? Oh, oh, sorry."
Akama, without any pretense, apologized to Yrel, whose expression was a bit stiff. Then he turned back to Andreas and said, "Andreas, since you have guests, I won't disturb you further. I'll come again next time to discuss the benevolence and universal love of the Holy Light."
"Hehe~ There will be an opportunity."
Andreas' mouth twitched as he barely maintained a polite demeanor, seeing off the bright-faced, smiling Akama.
"Phew~"
Rubbing his temples with a wry smile, Andreas shrugged and said to Samara, "Finally, we've seen off that great deity."
Samara, with her delicate and lovely appearance, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Archbishop Akama has no ill intentions; he just hopes that more brothers and sisters will join the embrace of the Holy Light."
Samara and Yrel were sisters; their parents tragically died when the Genedar crashed. Fortunately, the Draenei's social welfare was excellent, and the two sisters grew up healthy under the care of their people.
As adults, Samara and Yrel chose different paths for their future.
Although both joined the Hand of the Prophet, formed by Velen, becoming apprentices of the Holy Light.
However, compared to the naturally lively Yrel, who was dedicated to protecting her people with her own hands, the gentle-natured Samara preferred to stay in the rear, comforting the hearts of injured tribesmen with soft Holy Light.
Their differing aspirations also led to a divergence in the sisters' future development paths. Samara hoped to become a physician (priest), while Yrel wished to grasp a sword and shield, becoming a Defender, a solid shield protecting the people.
Coincidentally, due to their modest family background, the two sisters happened to live next to Andreas' new residence on the outskirts of Ampori Village.
With Andreas' proactive efforts to foster good neighborly relations, the lively and curious Yrel quickly became familiar with the two new outsiders.
"Speak."
Looking at Yrel, who had a fawning expression, Andreas sighed softly, "What do you want me to help you with today?"
"Hehe~"
Yrel awkwardly shuffled her hooves on the ground, "Little Bo'er's pendant was accidentally lost in the western forest, and there are Ogres lurking nearby. I don't dare go alone, can you come with me?"
In the Warlords of Draenor expansion, when players arrived in this world, the orcs had already become the absolute rulers of Draenor.
But now it was different; although the ogre's Goria Empire had disintegrated under the combined assault of the orcs and elements, ogre strongholds, existing as independent city-states across Draenor, still retained considerable combat power.
The most famous among them were Highmaul in Nagrand and Bladefist Fortress in Frostfire Ridge.
Although Shadowmoon Valley was remote, the ogres had still built a fortress there, located west of Embaari Village, named Torg's Bastion.
"Sigh~"
Andreas patted her forehead and said helplessly, "Yrel, it's good to be helpful, but you also need to consider the circumstances and act within your capabilities."
"I'm still under the supervision of the Council of Exarchs. The only reason I could go out with you before was thanks to Archmage Hathel's guarantee. I can't trouble him every time, can I?"
Perhaps because she grew up receiving care from her neighbors, Yrel often helped the villagers solve problems out of gratitude, which included retrieving items from outside the village.
The wilds of Draenor were not safe. Various powerful native species like ogres, Gronn, Thorn Beasts, and Forest Spirits posed immense threats. Previously, when Ammihan and other lumberjacks went out, they were escorted by Naielle's rangers.
Putting aside the thoughtless children who sneaked out of the village to play when adults weren't looking, Yrel, as a rookie Vindicator who had been in training for less than a year, would find it very difficult to survive alone in the wild.
More than a month ago, wanting to give her sister Samara a crystal ornament as a birthday gift, Yrel, after consulting Archmage Hathel, asked Andreas for help and went with him to Moonpetal Valley northwest of Embaari Village to mine.
The Draenei's class system was not rigid; even an Archmage like Hathel could easily mingle with the common people.
With the Archmage's skillful help, Samara's birthday gift was successfully crafted. Yrel, that girl, seemed to have gotten a taste for it, coming to Andreas every other day recently to ask him to go out with her.
"Why don't you ask Shandris?"
Andreas rubbed his temples, a headache brewing, "She's allowed to go out and is more active than I am, right?"
Yrel pouted and complained, "Shandris is too serious, just like Archmage Naielle. I can't even breathe freely when I'm with her; it's too stifling."
"Heh~"
Andreas shook his head, amused. Shandris, having held a high position for many years, inevitably carried the prestige of a superior.
And unlike Andreas, she hadn't specifically learned how to rein in her aura, which led to Shandris quickly forming a bond with Naielle, who was also a female general, but young Yrel was unwilling to go out with her.
Shifting his gaze to the smiling Samara, he asked, "Samara, what do you think? Is it really appropriate for Yrel to be running around all day like this?"
Samara glanced sideways at her sister, who was clasping her hands in a pleading gesture, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"I've told her many times, but this girl never takes my advice, so I might as well let her be."
"Isn't her ambition to be a Vindicator? That profession requires a lot of practical experience. It's good to let this child go out with you; at least it counts as experiencing combat early."
Andreas rolled his eyes, 'Sure enough, both sisters are in cahoots.'
The last mineral-seeking expedition was very smooth, with no combat occurring along the way. Yrel seemed a bit unwilling, hoping to encounter ogres this time and find an opportunity to personally try her hand.
A newborn calf fears no tiger. This girl's impression of ogres was still based on her mentor's descriptions; she didn't know how difficult these tall, burly men were to deal with.
Shandris had engaged in combat with ogres during her recent patrols. According to her, these thick-skinned, intelligent creatures indeed possessed strong individual combat power, potentially even surpassing tauren in one-on-one encounters.
However, ogre intelligence was very low; as long as one could figure out a way to trick them, it was even possible to deal with ogres by winning without fighting.
But Andreas knew this rule was not absolute.
There was a very small chance for ogres to have two heads. Two-headed ogres, without exception, possessed extremely high intelligence and super high magical talent. It was under their leadership that the Goria Empire was able to dominate Draenor for hundreds of years.
As one of the independent ogre city-states, Torg's Bastion undoubtedly had many two-headed ogres stationed there. It was just that Naielle and Shandris' patrols would not delve deep into the fortress, so they hadn't yet encountered these core ogre combatants.
After hesitating for a long while, Andreas finally sighed, "You go get permission from one of the Archmages first. As long as they agree to let me leave the village, I can accompany you to look for the pendant."
"Yay!"
Before Andreas could utter his "but," Yrel turned around and, wiggling her little backside, skipped off to chase after Akama, who had just left. Her blue tail, trailing behind her, wagged happily from side to side.
"Sigh…"
Andreas, speechless, turned to Samara, "Aren't you going to rein in this wild girl?"
Samara spread her hands with a doting smile, "She doesn't listen even when I tell her. Let her experience the dangers of this world herself. Anyway, with Mr. Andreas accompanying her, nothing major should happen."
'So you're treating me as free childcare, huh…'
...Naielle was out on patrol and hadn't returned, and Hathel happened to be at the construction site of the Temple of Karabor supervising the build. Yrel jogged all the way and finally caught up with Akama, who was preparing to return to Shattrath, and, unsurprisingly, obtained his permission.
Andreas had already met four of the five Archmages, only having never met Maladaar, who was stationed permanently in Auchindoun.
Archmage O'ros, who led the Aldor scholars, was busy with official duties and only met Andreas and Shandris in passing when visiting the Temple of Karabor construction site.
This Archmage was colder than the others, possessing the typical demeanor of a mage—proud and reserved, a stark contrast to the enthusiastic and uninhibited Akama.
After getting permission to leave the village, Yrel, for once, put on a rather nice set of armor, a birthday gift Samara had given her last year.
Normally, Yrel was reluctant to use it, always wearing the simple, standard armor issued to apprentices by the Hand of the Prophet.
After all, it was for apprentices, and they wouldn't be wearing it for actual combat outside the village, so the cost... was naturally reduced.
The sky of Shadowmoon Valley was magnificent and dreamlike, with a blue-black night sky dotted with countless stars, making Andreas occasionally look up to admire the beauty.
However, the environment here made it much more difficult for Draenei without night vision to travel. At this moment, Yrel held a lantern filled with Light energy in her hand.
"A mountain like a white elephant lies in the middle of the road, I hammer left and axe right…"
Yrel, walking on the tranquil plains, showed no signs of nervousness. This girl even happily sang a Draenei folk song.
Andreas rolled his eyes behind her, 'I hope you can maintain this optimistic attitude when you see an ogre with your own eyes.'
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Just as the hopping Yrel was twirling the warhammer in her hand like a conductor's baton, a millstone-sized boulder suddenly flew out from the woods beside the road.
"Boom!"
"Ah!"
The sudden commotion startled Yrel so much that her tail bristled. This girl, very sensibly, scurried back behind Andreas, poking her head out to cautiously survey her surroundings.
"Roar!"
Several one-eyed, obese figures, over three meters tall and bare-chested, emerged from the woods. They all held crude iron weapons.
"Draenei, hand over your weapons and armor, or else, we eat you!"
The Ogres clearly couldn't recognize Night Elves, and the Ogres who had seen Shandris a few days ago were long gone. Therefore, they targeted Yrel, who was a Draenei, to make trouble.
Although these Ogres were tall and strong, their clothing, appearance, and weaponry were extremely crude, indicating that they clearly weren't living well.
Since the collapse of the Goria Empire, the influence of independent Ogre city-states everywhere has declined steadily. Although they still maintained decent core combat strength, the lives of the lower-class citizens were miserable, forcing them to hunt extensively just to fill their stomachs.
Fortunately, Draenor has many wild animals, and with the Ogres' combat strength, finding food to fill their bellies wasn't difficult.
While barely maintaining subsistence, the Ogres wanted to acquire better equipment to seize better hunting grounds.
Because their own forging techniques were substandard and they couldn't forge equipment to their satisfaction, the Ogres chose to steal finished products from the Draenei, who excelled in various technologies. They only needed to take them back and modify them slightly to fit their physique.
The bloodthirsty aura emanating from the Ogre bandits made Yrel tremble slightly. These Ogres had clearly killed people with their own hands, perhaps even her compatriots.
Yrel was, after all, still a Defender Apprentice who hadn't experienced actual combat. Facing such a brutal aura, it was already commendable that she could control herself and not turn and run.
Andreas reached out and patted Yrel's hands, which were clutching his sleeve, comforting her, "Be a little braver. Since you chose to become the warhammer and shield of your people, the day you face the enemy in direct combat will come sooner or later."
"In fact... the enemies you face in the future will be several times more brutal than the Ogres."
Andreas wasn't just talking nonsense; Orcs who drank Demon Blood were absolutely equally or more brutal than Ogres.
As a figure who would leave her mark on the world of Azeroth, Yrel's psychological fortitude was naturally incomparable to that of ordinary people.
After overcoming the initial tension and panic, she managed to calm down under Andreas' soothing presence.
"Take a deep breath, calm your feelings, and stand aside to watch the fight closely."
To set an example for Yrel, and to leave a good impression on the Draenei Rangers secretly following them, Andreas did not use Shadow Magic to instantly kill these Ogres.
"Buzz!"
The tear of Elune, suspended at the tip of the Staff of Ganir, extended a purple light blade. Andreas also drew the sword of the dark empire hanging at his waist.
Although it had lost the special effects brought by Xal'atath, the sword of the dark empire was, after all, a divine artifact made from an Old God's claw, making it trustworthy in terms of sturdiness at least.
After waiting for a long time without receiving a response from Yrel, the Ogre bandits finally lost patience.
The Ogre Leader at the front, wielding twin axes, glared fiercely with his single eye at Andreas, who had stepped forward.
"Weak little thing, I'll smash you flat!"
"Whoosh!"
The twin axes came crashing toward Andreas, accompanied by a heavy rushing sound. Shifting his feet, Andreas used nimble footwork to dodge the opponent's first round of broad axes.
"Roar!"
Ogres had no sense of honor regarding duels. Seeing their leader attack, the other bandits also brandished their weapons and joined the fray.
"Clang!"
The sword of the dark empire in his left hand was thrust out to block an Ogre's hammer strike. Andreas' left arm sank slightly; the Ogre's strength was somewhat beyond his expectation.
'Their strength is indeed greater than that of the Tauren, but they lack flexibility.'
Using skill, he slightly rotated the angle of the sword of the dark empire, deflecting the force of the Ogre's hammer strike along the slanted surface of the blade.
At the same time, the retreating Ogre Leader frantically resumed his twin battle axes, launching a combo attack at Andreas.
As a champion who had frequented the Fighting Arenas, Andreas was not intimidated by the opponent's surging momentum. While simultaneously using his sword and staff to block attacks from both sides, he swiftly dodged every strike from the bandit leader with the smallest possible steps.
Hoh~ Hoh~
After a round of bursts failed to land a single hit, even an Ogre, as dull as they were, realized that he seemed to have hit a tough opponent.
Retreat flashed in the eyes of the heavily panting bandit leader, and the axes in his hands lost their previous sharp, aggressive momentum.
A sharp light flashed in Andreas' eyes. Taking advantage of the moment the opponent's strength was spent, he suddenly advanced and closed the distance. His left hand's longsword parried the opponent's hastily retreating single-handed battle-axe, while the fingers of his right hand deftly spun the Staff of Ganir.
Vroom vroom~
The spinning Staff of Ganir accelerated using centrifugal force, slicing open the exposed abdomen of the bandit leader, who had no time to defend. Bright red blood sprayed directly toward Andreas.
Most of the blood was deflected by the spinning Staff of Ganir. The bandit leader roared in pain and instinctively leaned backward. Andreas used the momentum of the spin to turn, and the longsword in his left hand swept across the opponent's neck with the force of the rotation.
The scream ceased abruptly. A single-eyed head, its eyes wide open in death, fell to the ground, its face still holding expressions of terror and unwillingness.
The sudden death of their leader silenced the Ogres who had been clamoring to attack, and retreat showed in the single eyes of many bandits.
But Andreas had no intention of letting them go. His skilled sword and staff combination quickly harvested the lives of the bandits who had lost their fighting will and momentum.
Swish~
After piercing the heart of the last Ogre, Andreas pulled the longsword out of its body and forcefully swung it toward the ground, splashing bright red blood onto the dirt in a spray.
Yrel witnessed a brutal death match for the first time. Her normally blue face was pale, and she covered her mouth with both hands, dry heaving.
Ugh~
The strong smell of blood on the battlefield mixed with the foul stench emanating from the Ogres created a terribly offensive odor. Combined with the rather "appetizing" scene before her, Yrel finally couldn't hold back and threw up first.
A few centuries ago, Andreas had taken on a new apprentice, Niana, whose reaction to seeing bloody combat for the first time was no better than Yrel's. He was starting to get used to this reaction from rookies.
"When you're done throwing up, come over and take a good look."
Andreas sat carelessly on a low rock beside the corpses, pointing at the Ogre bodies as he spoke to Yrel, "Get used to scenes like this as early as possible, and don't make the same mistakes in the next battle."
"If you show such weakness on the battlefield, your opponent would have already chopped off your head while you were busy throwing up. You don't want Samara to mournfully face your corpse, do you?"
In Yrel's heart, having depended on her sister for survival, Samara was her most important spiritual haven. Andreas' provocation quickly took effect.
Cough cough...
Yrel forced herself to look up. The bright red liquid pooling on the ground almost made her instinctively turn away, but the girl had a stubborn streak and stared fixedly at the corpses without turning her head.
Andreas wore a smile of approval. "Very good. Remember the miserable state of these corpses. If you don't want your compatriots and loved ones to end up like this, you must work hard to adapt to the battlefield and become a sturdy shield standing before your friends and family."
Yrel, still somewhat pale, nodded firmly and muttered in a self-hypnotic manner.
"I can do this, I definitely can. These are enemies, they don't deserve sympathy... Ugh~"
Andreas' eyebrow twitched slightly. "It seems like there's still a long way to go."
According to the intelligence Shandris recently gathered, there are at least tens of thousands of elite ogres in the Painfort, plus the civilians surrounding the fortress, roughly estimated to be a total of two hundred thousand.
The ones who attacked Andreas and Yrel were clearly civilian bandits living outside the fortress, who left their tribe's usual hunting grounds to rob people in order to improve their lives.
Thankfully, the pendant Yrel needed to find didn't require her to go deep into the fortress' vicinity. No matter how slippery the brat was, there was no way he could run into ogre-controlled territory.
"Clang!"
Andreas swung his light blade, cutting off the head of the last brown wolf, and looked at Yrel, who was rummaging through the wolf den.
"Did you find it?"
"Yes! It was indeed carried back by these wolves!"
Yrel pulled out a greasy crystal pendant from the foul-smelling wolf den.
Draenei crystals are all made by the technicians under Hat'aru, and ordinary wolves cannot bite through their structure.
The moment Andreas saw the necklace, he knew why it had been carried back by the wolves.
"How greedy is that brat, Bol… A necklace this greasy is bound to attract wild beasts."
Andreas subtly glanced at the hidden ranger's hiding spot, then retracted his weapon and stretched.
"Hmm~ It's been a while since I've moved around. Since the objective has been achieved, shouldn't we head back?"
"Yes, let's go."
Yrel held the greasy necklace with a somewhat conflicted expression. The surface of the gauntlet Samara had given her was inevitably stained with some slippery grease.
Not long after the two left, a Draenei ranger hiding in the forest emerged from her hiding place and crouched down beside the wolf corpses to examine them.
"Very clean cuts. As expected, his strength is remarkable. But… what is the principle behind that light blade he uses?"
..."Thank you, Sister Yrel!"
A chubby Draenei child, snotty and teary-eyed, took his pendant from Yrel's hand. In his other hand, he held a roasted goat leg with a pockmarked surface.
Andreas' mouth twitched. Bol's necklace had already been washed clean by Yrel in the river on the way back, but as soon as it was back in the brat's hands, the necklace quickly became greasy and smelled of mutton again.
"...Yrel, in the future, tell Bol's family to keep a close eye on this kid."
Andreas said with a hint of exasperation, "I suspect if he sneaks out again, he'll be treated as a moving two-legged lamb by the wolves."
Yrel: "...I understand. I will talk directly with little Bol's mother later."
Although it was impossible to tell the time of day in the long night of Shadowmoon Valley, the Draenei had their own methods of keeping track of time.
"Dong~"
A distant and clear striking sound came from the direction of the still-unfinished Karabor Temple. The rhythmic sound reminded the diligently working residents that it was time to finish work.
This was the Draenei's time-keeping crystal, which would strike three times a day: at six in the morning, twelve noon, and six in the evening.
Andreas and Yrel had left the village after lunch, so the sound now was naturally the afternoon reminder.
The ranger team led by Naielle returned from outside the village almost exactly on time, with Shandris also among the group.
Today, they had patrolled the area around Elodor Village, north of Ambori Village. Judging by Naielle's expression, something unpleasant seemed to have happened.
After safely handing Yrel over to Samara, Andreas quickly walked towards Shandris.
"What happened? Why do the rangers look so serious?"
Shandris glanced at Naielle's back, shook her head, and said, "There are too many ears here. Let's talk about it when we get back."
..."So that's it…"
Andreas stroked his chin thoughtfully. Shandris had already told him about Naielle's afternoon itinerary.
This time, Naielle's trip to Elodor Village wasn't just for patrol; her main purpose was to convey goodwill to the Shadowmoon orcs living not far west of Elodor.
Clearly, the attempt to appease their neighbors was not going smoothly. The orcs remained suspicious and wary of the Draenei as outsiders, much like the Draenei were wary of Andreas.
"According to Naielle, the Shadowmoon orcs are relatively friendly. The Redpath and Bladewind clans, settled on the eastern border of Nagrand, are much more aggressive."
Shandris said with a solemn expression, "If it weren't for Prophet Velen, who presides over Shattrath City, restraining them multiple times, the orcs and Draenei might have already had large-scale conflicts."
"And the biggest problem isn't even the orcs. It's the ogres, who show deep-seated hostility towards the Draenei, that are the most troublesome native species."
After the Draenei were forced to crash-land on Draenor, they were eager to establish a sanctuary in this new world, and Shattrath was built against this backdrop.
At that time, the Draenei mainly saw that the native population of the Terokkar Forest was sparse, and the chosen site for Shattrath City happened to be on a leylines node. They hastily built the city without delving into the history of the land.
Later, the Draenei learned that there was a reason why the area was sparsely populated.
The land where Shattrath City stands was formerly the capital of the Gorian Empire. After the orcs and elementals destroyed the city, terrifying energy tides still lingered in the area, only gradually dissipating in recent decades.
Over time, the orcs came to regard this land as cursed and avoided this forest from afar.
The Draenei building a city on the ruins of Gorian didn't significantly affect the orcs; at most, it increased the vigilance of the Redpath and Bladewind clans towards the Draenei. However, the Draenei's actions undoubtedly angered the ogres, whose might lingered even after their empire's collapse.
Andreas' face showed a sudden realization, "No wonder the ogres arbitrarily plundered Draenei caravans and civilians; so there's this underlying reason."
To be fair, if Zin-Azshari hadn't sunk into the sea, if any race dared to build a new city on its ruins, the Night Elves would also be very displeased and might very well find an excuse to launch an attack.
Although they had abandoned their former capital, the land still remained under the control of its original owners, and it was not an excuse for others to arbitrarily occupy and build a city.
It's hard to say who is right and who is wrong in this matter. The Draenei needed to establish a safe stronghold in the savage Draenor, and the Gorian ruins, as a leylines node, was undoubtedly an excellent location.
But from the ogres' perspective, even though their empire had collapsed, their various city-states still existed, and it was certainly not the Draenei's turn to seize the territory of their former capital.
Both sides had their own reasons, and from the moment Shattrath City was established, this conflict entered an irreconcilable dead end.
Andreas stroked his chin, "So, there's bound to be a war between the Draenei and the ogres; it's just a matter of time?"
"That's right."
Shandris nodded, "That's why the Draenei wanted to first win over the ogres' sworn enemies, the orcs, before the war came, but the progress isn't very ideal."